Finance Course Descriptions

123. Personal Finance. Credit 3 hours. A study of the management of personal finance affairs, including budgeting, banking, insurance, installment financing, rent/purchase decisions, real estate, personal taxes and lifetime financial planning. (May be used as a Business Elective, but not a Finance Elective in the Finance Degree Curriculum. Not open to juniors or seniors majoring in the College of Business).

381. Business Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing and Accounting 200. A study of organization of business firms, financial planning, funds from operations, short and intermediate loan capital, owners' equity, long-term debt, and business promotion and expansion.

382. Problems in Business Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. This course encompasses the analysis of financial policies and problems of corporate financial management in light of different operating functions. Attention is given to cases involving financial decisions for nonfinancial corporations. The primary objective of the course is to encourage independent constructive criticism of existing theories and knowledge, and to develop a personal philosophy of financial management.

383. Working Capital Management. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. A study of the analysis of financial theory and problems involving working capital. Topics include the management of cash, receivables, inventories, and short-term funding.

391. Finance Internship. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: Finance 381, 2.5 grade point average and permission of Department Head. Finance Internship provides a student with finance experience in an assignment selected and approved by the University with a cooperating business firm. Students will earn three semester hours of credit for 360 hours of approved work experience. Only finance majors can receive credit for the Finance Internship course. All grades are assigned on a Pass/Fail basis.

392. Finance Internship. Credit 3 hours. Continuation of Finance 391. In order to obtain credit for Finance 392, the work assignment must be different from that of Finance 391.

401. Capital and Money Markets. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381 or approval of the Department Head. This course is designed to provide the basic knowledge and tools required to analyze financial markets and their institutions. The primary objective is to provide students with adequate knowledge of the structures and practical operations of major financial markets and the underlying forces which unify them.

410. Managerial Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: Junior standing, ACCT 225, ECON 201 and FIN 381. The study of tools and techniques used in the formulation and implementation of financial policies, including analysis of financial needs, acquisition of financial resources, and allocation of funds to finance a business. Financial decision making involving applied economics, accounting, and statistics. (Not open to finance majors).

431. Principles of Real Estate. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. The nature of real property, principles of urban land development, classification of property right, financing of real estate, and real estate sales.

432. Real Estate Practice. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 431 or a valid Louisiana Real Estate Salesman's License. A consideration of the professional aspects of real estate brokerage, property management, finance, appraisal, property development, and problems relating to real property. Emphasis is placed on the managerial and marketing aspects of operating and managing a brokerage firm.

447. Global Financial Management. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. The financial problems and opportunities that confront the management of international firms. Sources and instruments of international finance, import and export financial considerations, and the interrelationship of governmental and international agencies to the financial function of business will be emphasized.

451/551. Investment Analysis. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. A study of the fundamental principles of business firms; major markets in the United States, and hypothetical portfolios developed using current data.

452. Portfolio Management. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 451. A study of financial investment alternatives and strategies in a portfolio context. Specific emphasis is give to financial engineering techniques applied in the design and management of investment portfolios within the framework of specific risk-return objectives.

470. Bank Administration. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: FIN 381, and either ECON 333 or FIN 401. A study of common problem situations and management techniques as they apply to the operation of an individual bank.

481. Principles of Insurance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381. A study of the business of life insurance, types of policies and annuity contracts, fire and allied fire contracts; automobile direct loss and liability insurance; other types of casualty insurance.

482. Life, Accident, and Health Insurance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing. The general principles of life, accident, and health insurance and the application to both business and personal uses.

495. Special Topics in Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: Finance 381. A seminar course that covers selected current and unique topics of special interest in finance not covered in existing courses.

499. Seminar in Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: Finance 382 or Finance 451. A capstone seminar course with emphasis on the application of finance concepts to real world problems using case studies with heavy reliance on spreadsheet models and Bloomberg application.

650. Health Care Finance Management. Credit 3 hours. A course designed to introduce students to the concepts of basic managerial financial functions, such as budgeting, accrual accounting, and the responsibilities of financial management.

653. Financial Policies I. Credit 3hours. Prerequisites: Finance 381 or Graduate Standing. The study of tools and techniques used in the formulation and implementation of financial policies. Specific emphasis is given to the analysis of financial statements, working capital management, valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, capital structure and leasing.

654. Financial Policies II. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisites: Finance 381 or Graduate standing. The study of tools and techniques used in the formulation and implementation of financial policies involving topics not covered in FIN 653. Specific emphasis is given to the analysis of risk management, dividend policy, the investment banking process, hybrid financing, bankruptcy and reorganization, mergers and divestitures, and multinational financial management.

657. Financial Institutions Management. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381 and Graduate standing. A case-oriented introduction to the mechanics, operation, and structure of the financial intermediary system. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of financial markets, monetary policy and the international financial arena.

695. Special Topics in Finance. Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Finance 381 or permission of the Department Head and Graduate standing. A seminar course focusing on selected issues in finance.